The skyline of Rochester greeted us as we turned onto the Genesee River from the Erie Canal.

"We're approaching the Genesee River. Prepare for a strong cross current!" shouted Captain John to his crew on the Fantessy.

We had left Pittsford at 11:30 am, gone through locks E32 and E33 by noon, and were preparing for our final destination, Rochester.

Rochester has been known as The Flour City, The Flower City, and The World's Image Centre. With a population of 207,000, it is New York's third largest city and second largest economy.

Col. Nathaniel Rochester and two army friends purchased 100 acres along the Genesee River in 1803. They hoped the rapids would provide power and quickly laid out a town. Little did they know that in 20 years their little town would be part of the Erie Canal system.

The first boatload of flour was loaded in Rochester in 1823 bound for Albany and New York City. It cost the millers $7 a ton on the canal whereas they had been paying $100 a ton overland. In the first ten days, the millers had shipped 10,450 barrels of flour. By 1840, Rochester had become The Flour City, America's largest miller and shipper of flour. Queen Victoria is reported to have said, "Rochester flour makes the best cakes." Or maybe it was Marie-Antoinette.

This tender (tug) at Corn Hill Landing was used to assist larger boats to and from the Port of Rochester on Lake Ontario.

William Reynolds began gathering seeds in Rochester in 1830 and later founded Ellwanger & Barry Nursery to sell the seeds. This and other seed companies capitalized on the flour market selling to farmers throughout the Midwest. Their market expanded to flowers which were planted in the public parks, and Boom! Rochester became The Flower City.

George Eastman set up in Rochester in 1888 and soon invented a simple roll film he called Kodak. Eastman Kodak Company advertised their product in 1892 with the slogan, "You press the button, we do the rest." Eventually, Xerox, Gannett Newspapers, Bausch & Lomb, Western Union, and the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester joined the parade and Rochester became The World's Image Center.

James Cunningham, a carriage maker, produced the Cunningham Hearse, an automotive first, in 1900. But Rochester was never known as The Hearse City.

R.T. French sent his Rochester Prepared Mustard to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis as a condiment for the newly created hot dog. But Rochester was never known as The Mustard City.

The current turned out not to be very swift and we sailed down the Genesee River to Rochester. Captain John artfully steered our canal barge to the Corn Hill Landing. We had lunch onboard then took a short tour of the Corn Hill neighborhood. Along the river was a shopping and housing strip. Just off the river was a collection of delightful historically preserved Victorian homes and an art center. We had just missed the popular Corn Hill Art Festival.

We left Rochester and returned to Fairport for the night. First mate Janice prepared delicious spaghetti and Chef Linda served a wonderful Chianti Reserve. The four sailors played hearts late into the night. I won, of course.

That night was the worst of the trip. Every 20 minutes, a terrible blast rattled the windows. A clackering roar hit the boat shaking it stem to stern. Bursts of light shattered the night and ignited our small berth. We had docked next to a railroad track and across the canal from a lovers parking spot.